Watching the Detroit turkey day game, not only did Detroit get hosed but the rest of the AFC, particularly the Ravens who it might cost a number 1 seed and home field advantage in the Championship game.

Houston had the ball, handed it to a runner, he was hit and basically looked like he was probably down. He gets up and runs another sixty or so yards for a touchdown. The whistle never blew.

The over excited Lions' coach throws a challenge flag.

I knew the rule was that all touchdowns are automatically reviewed.

I didn't know but was not shocked to learn that throwing the challenge flag under those circumstances could be called a penalty.

I was mildly surprised to find out the penalty was 15 yards.

What I was shocked to learn was that ..........................

the penalty for throwing a challenge flag on an unchallengeable play ALSO INCLUDES THE LOSS OF THE AUTOMATIC REVIEW WHICH MADE THE PLAY UNCHALLENGEABLE.

As such, although the review CLEARLY SHOWED that the Houston runner was down by contact, a reviewable occurrence (unlike a flag for blow to the head or holding), in the Alice in Wonderland rules of the NFL, the automatically reviewable play became unreviewable on the crazy basis that a review could only help Detroit if it showed that the runner was down but it THEN COULD NOT BE REVIEWED because (and here's the heart of the insanity)

Under NFL rules, no team can BENEFIT by improperly throwing a challenge flag.

Let that sink in.

Is there anything more crazy?

I wouldn't blame Detroit if it exploded in rioting tonight.

That "no benefit from improperly challenging" was put in to keep Coaches from stopping the clock LATE IN THE GAME by throwing a challenge flag.

I don't know but I think in college football there is a run-off of the clock for a certain amount of time.

But it is crazy for the integrity of the sport of pro football itself to allow a touchdown to be, in effect, DICTATED BY RULE when the cameras clearly show that the touchdown was not a touchdown.

I don't blame the on-the-field referees.

Like the announcers said, basically, "no whistle is better than a quick whistle."

I could see the refs not being sure and allowing the play to continue (no one tried to tackle him because everyone thought he was down).

Better to let the blame fall on the defenders for not tackling him WHEN NO REF HAD BLOWN A WHISTLE, than to blow the whistle and stop what you later determine would have been a legitimate touchdown.

So, I don't blame the on the field refs.

I blame the idiots sitting back in the NFL office in Chicago or wherever the hell it is for actually using their brains (or lack thereof) and dreaming up such a stupid rule.

And it would have even been different if the challenge flag had been throw ON A TYPE OF REFEREE CALL OR NON-CALL THAT WAS UNCHALLENGEABLE, like a holding call or a non-holding call. But to say you can't review a play that is reviewable and in fact is normally AUTOMATICALLY REVIEWED is almost a contradiction itself.

And to do have a rule saying there is no automatic review because a coach mistakenly tries to use up one of his challenges to get it reviewed is the height of not only idiocy but insanity.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2012 02:53PM by ChyrenB.

Even with that crazy run on sentence at the end...I still agree!!

You're right. That's a whole paragraph sentence. And a big paragraph too. I'll edit it.

That rule is totally lame. I was pulling for Detroit to win that game, was pissed that they didn't. I guess me being a Dolphins fan rooting for the Lions gave them a curse.

Yeah, 808. Me too. I was struck at the similarity of the playcalling, particularly toward the end of regulation and during overtime, between the Lions coaching staff and our own.

When all the Lions needed was to get into field goal range, they kept throwing the long bomb over and over again and gave away any realistic chance to put the game on ice. Finally, Houston had its one good shot and made the winning field goal.

808phan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That rule is totally lame. I was pulling for
> Detroit to win that game, was pissed that they
> didn't. I guess me being a Dolphins fan rooting
> for the Lions gave them a curse.

Them? The Lions have been cursed like forever.

montequi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 808phan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That rule is totally lame. I was pulling for
> > Detroit to win that game, was pissed that they
> > didn't. I guess me being a Dolphins fan rooting
> > for the Lions gave them a curse.
>
> Them? The Lions have been cursed like forever.


My God, I just realized that the last time Detroit one an NFL championship, George Wilson was the coach. Of course Wilson went on to perform (the opposite of) greatness as the first Head Coach of our very own Miami Dolphins.

I don't know how reliable it is but I heard on national radio last night that the NFL rules committee is considering a mid-season change of this rule.